Is there a way to associate a GOFA account with a Google Play Games account, when the Google Play Account was setup 2nd?

I attempted to do so, using the same Google account for both, but GOFA's response is to require me to "ABANDON" the original game and start over when I attempt to switch to this account through Google Play Games app.

Is there a support option to fix this?

I have a very advanced account on GOFA that I really do not want to lose after spending more than 2 years building it up to be a top account on the server. Now that my phone has aged during that time, I am at a loss on how to save my account from being lost when my phone is no longer usable.